Jon Hamm revealed his favorite Don Draper's backstory — several Mad Men episodes have been hailed as some of TV's all-time greats.
The best Mad Men episodes tend to feature powerful and revelatory dynamics between the main characters. Though Mad Men's spectacular ending. Unsurprisingly, Jon Hamm picked a big Don and Peggy episode as his favorite.
"The Suitcase" Is Jon Hamm's Favorite Mad Men Episode
He Called Working With Elisabeth Moss "A Special Time And Moment"
Though other characters drift in and out, Jon Hamm's favorite Mad Men episode, season 4, episode 7, "The Suitcase," is essentially a two-hander between Don and Peggy. Tensions escalate between the two when he forces her to stay and work late on her birthday. However, they're able to put aside their differences and bond over what they have in common. When Don finds out Anna Draper ed away, Peggy is there to comfort him. They share a moment of platonic intimacy before beginning another day at the office. Of "The Suitcase", Hamm said (via Entertainment Weekly):
"My favorite episode is 'The Suitcase.' We had not only a great time making it, I got to work with one of my favorite people in the world [Elisabeth Moss], and we really got to kind of play the whole range of emotion in there. And it was funny, and the mouse and Sterling's Gold and the revelation of Anna's ing away and, just, it was a special time and moment and it was kind of this weird little self-contained bump that was really fun to play. I enjoyed it."
It makes sense that Hamm would call Elisabeth Moss one of his "favorite people in the world," given how much chemistry they share onscreen. Hamm's comments also highlight the comedy in the show, which is possibly the only underrated aspect of it. Indeed, the scene of Don and Peggy listening to Roger Sterling's memoir is absolute comedy gold. "The Suitcase" is all about juxtapositions — the humor of Roger's secrets with the heartbreak of Anna's death, the intimacy between Don and Peggy with the mundanity of office life — which is one of Mad Men's biggest strengths.
What Makes"The Suitcase" One Of Mad Men's Most Popular Episodes
It Showed The Strength Of Don & Peggy's Relationship
Jon Hamm is not alone in selecting "The Suitcase as his favorite Mad Men episode — it is a huge fan-favorite and received an outpouring of critical acclaim when it was released. Hamm and Elisabeth Moss both give tour de force performances, and the actors each submitted "The Suitcase" for consideration for Emmy nominations. (They both earned the nominations, but neither won.)
Jon Hamm did win the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama series in 2015, for his performance in Mad Men's seventh and final season.
What the episode solidified is how alike Don and Peggy are. Both place a on their work, as it's the only aspect in their lives where they have any idea who they are. Even though Peggy is initially miffed at having to work on her birthday, she's not exactly heartbroken when the obnoxious Mark breaks up with her. Don may also have been harsh with Peggy, but when a drunk Duck barges in and his affair with Peggy is revealed, Don doesn't judge her in the least — he, of all people, knows what it's like to make romantic mistakes.
Peggy's response of "That's not true," is so moving because it's the first verbal acknowledgement that these two truly are kindred spirits.
The moment that chokes me up the most is shortly after Don learns about Anna. He breaks down in tears, telling Peggy that she was the only one who really knew him. Peggy's response of "That's not true," is so moving because it's the first verbal acknowledgement that these two truly are kindred spirits. Jon Hamm isn't lying when he speaks of these Mad Men characters experiencing "the whole range of emotions."
- Directors
- Michael Uppendahl, Jennifer Getzinger, Scott Hornbacher, Matthew Weiner, Lesli Linka Glatter, Tim Hunter, Jon Hamm, Barbet Schroeder, Daisy von Scherler Mayer, Ed Bianchi, Jared Harris, Matt Shakman, Lynn Shelton
- Writers
- Jonathan Igla, Robin Veith, Carly Wray, Kater Gordon, Bridget Bedard, Cathryn Humphris, Chris Provenzano, Brett Johnson, Rick Cleveland, Tracy McMillan, Andrew Colville, David Iserson
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